4th entry for November 1, 2009

P- and A- worked at the Sunday morning session. That evening I returned to the TSA, where a different P- was working. I know him well, and his gesture poses are good. These are all 1-minute studies.

3rd entry for November 1, 2009

These were both 15-minute poses.

With two people in the picture, the effective drawing time is more or less halved. Moreover, there is the additional challenge of relating their scale and proportions to each other. In that regard drawing becomes an extra-complex jigsaw puzzle: if the proportions are out somewhere on one figure, adjacent areas of the other figure may be too large or small. The negative spaces can be that much more interesting with two people to break up space, and if there is a sense of connection - physical or emotional - between them, it is richest of all.

I really like the challenge entailed by drawing a couple of people together. Usually in terms of strategy I will draw the figure I see the most of first, and relate the size and position of the second figure to the first one. That means remembering to place person 1 so there is enough space to fit person 2.

2nd entry for November 1, 2009

These were all essentially 10-minute poses. In my opinion, the one where A- and P- are leaning on each other was the most interesting, but was only sustainable for about 7-8 minutes.

1st entry for November 1, 2009

Thanks to the gift that is Daylight Savings Time, I made it out to a Sunday morning drawing session, only to find P- 's last stand, working with her friend A- , who is also a dancer and model. I like the challenge of drawing two people. In this case, their posing was more like a set of formal arrangements, rather than a more relaxed fitting together of two people.
These were 5-minute and 10-minute poses.

5th entry for October 27, 2009

There was time left in the night for two 10-minute poses, and about 6 minutes after that. For that final 6 minutes I focussed on P- 's face, and was able to get a fairly good likeness. I thought it would be the last time I would be drawing P- , because she was heading back to Australia the week after.

I ws fighting a bit of a cold that evening, and was consciously trying not to draw too vigorously. It may sound funny, but I do find that drawing, especially on a comparatively large (24" x 36") surface, is physically a very taxing process. Not so much the kinetic demands, but the psychic focus to do it well. So I went ito that session wanting to go slow. I didn't knock myself out, but it's difficult not to get engrossed in the moment.

4th entry for October 27, 2009

These were 5-minute poses, done after the mid-session break, when the equipment was shifted to a hoop.

3rd entry for October 27, 2009

These were 3-minute poses.